How Long Does it Take to Build a Custom Home?
The Lowcountry is home to beautiful sunsets, incredible beaches, wonderful wildlife, and unforgettable Southern charm. It’s no surprise that homebuyers from across the country are flocking to set down roots along the South Carolina coast! If you’re in a hurry to get settled, you may have already perused what’s available within the resale market. But have you considered having a custom home in the Lowcountry built to your exact specifications? Although going the custom route may add a few months to your timeline, the payoff of getting exactly what you want—and then some!—is well worth the wait.
When you work with our team at Shoreline Construction, you can expect the design, approval, and pricing phase to last roughly up to 8 months for a single-family home, while the construction process can take up to an additional year. However, because every custom home is built to your unique needs and preferences, there are a variety of factors that can affect your timeline–as well as ways to save time throughout the process! Let’s take a look at a few of them now.
Did you know that the term "new build" or "new construction" is not synonymous with a custom home?
At Shoreline Construction, we exclusively specialize in custom homes. Unlike spec or tract homes, which are either pre-built before buyers are confirmed or constructed based on a predetermined floor plan—offering little room for flexibility based on the buyer’s needs—our custom homes are built from the ground up with the buyer’s unique lifestyle in mind from day one.
Despite the longer timeframe that comes with a custom build, homeowners find it’s well worth the reward of having a home built not only for you, but with you! At Shoreline, we have a large portfolio of Idea Homes that can serve as a starting point for your build, with the option to further tailor your design to suit your needs from there. Naturally, the more complex your final design, the more time it will take to bring it to fruition.
To create a realistic timeline, it’s important to take every variable into consideration. With that said, there are several factors that could lead to delays before or during the construction process. These include:
Permit Acquisition - The time it takes to obtain a permit to start construction will vary and is heavily dependent on city and county building departments.
Availability of Materials - If materials are in short supply or subcontractors are unavailable during peak building times, this can lead to delays. You’ll also need to consider that the further your home is from major cities or metro areas, the longer it will take for needed materials to arrive.
Site Conditions - If there will be work required prior to construction, such as excavating the lot the home will sit on, more time is necessary to accommodate this process.
Weather - In the Lowcountry, it’s usually recommended to plan for delays due to inclement weather; this may be more likely if you start the building process during hurricane season, when heavy winds and rainfall may be present. While builders can easily continue to work in the rain, there are some key elements, such as wet concrete for the foundation, that could be affected.
Design and Approval Process - When working on any collaborative project, decisions by the parties involved can naturally slow the process. When it comes to designing a custom home, it can be difficult to go between both the construction company and design firm to finalize decisions and ensure that every step of the build process is approved before proceeding. By working with the design team at Furnish by Shoreline, we are able to ensure a smooth and cohesive process with minimal delays. As sister companies, we are able to ensure a direct line of communication, understand your overall vision, and present a seamless finished product.
Although the process of building a custom home might seem daunting, there are a couple of things you can do to help shorten the process—without cutting any corners.
Pull Inspiration From Our Gallery of Idea Homes - At Shoreline Construction, we’ve put together a gallery of projects homebuyers can use as inspiration during the discovery phase of our process. Browsing our collection of Idea Homes is a great way to visualize what your custom home might look like, and will help you brainstorm the types of features you would like to include.
Vendor Relationships - We draw upon the relationships we’ve built with best-in-class vendors in every category to ensure the process of sourcing materials and supplies is as seamless as possible. And, with our extensive knowledge of what materials work best given the coastal conditions of the Lowcountry, you can be sure that the materials we’re sourcing are exactly what is needed for a custom home that will last for generations.
Work With Furnish by Shoreline - We created Furnish by Shoreline to give our clients a fully-streamlined process that results in a custom home that is 100% cohesive, from the foundation to the finishing accents. Everything from outlet placement to accent decor is managed by one team—which saves you time, money, and lots of unnecessary headaches!
Plan Ahead - The actual construction of your home is what will take the longest, so preparation is key. At Shoreline, we’ll walk you through each stage of the homebuilding process, and make sure all the details are finalized before we get started to avoid the risk of any last-minute changes during construction.